But behind every legend there is a guiding force which leads him to greatness. A support which saw him through tribulations. Someone who was responsible to show him/her the path to success.
In Sachin’s case it was his elder brother Ajit Tendulkar. The cricketer often credits his brother as the one who spotted his talent and encouraged him to pursue the sport. “Ajit has always been my guiding light in cricket. He was the one who spotted my natural ability and honed that. With his help and coaching I have developed into the cricketer that I am. I am still improving and it is still Ajit that I look to for that help," once quoted Sachin while talking about his brother.
Reportedly, the elder brother was interested in cricket himself and also played the sport during his student years. However, he left playing to mentor Sachin’s cricket career.
It is said that Ajit originally channelized Sachin’s attention to cricket to keep him away for mischief.
‘In the early 1980s, on a quiet Sunday afternoon, the Tendulkars - fans of Dev Anand— had gathered in front of the television to watch Guide. Sachin, eleven years old, saw it as a golden opportunity to raid a mango tree in front of the house with his five friends. A little later, on hearing a deafening crash, the Tendulkars rushed out and found that Sachin had fallen from one of the branches and hurt himself badly. Ajit Tendulkar, exasperated with Sachin’s mischievous ways, took him to a park the next morning and asked an elderly gentleman to take care of his “hyperactive” brother and teach him some cricket. The gentleman’s name was Ramakant Achrekar, and the venue, Shivaji Park. Unknown to Ajit, Ramakant and even Sachin, the meeting marked the beginning of the long and illustrious journey of, arguably, India’s greatest cricketer ever.’
It was elder brother Ajit who accompanied The Little Master on his cricketing tours during his formative years. He’s also helped Sachin look after his various endorsements and business interests.
Ajit has also written a book on Sachin’s cricket journey, titled “The Making of a cricketer”.
Even after all these years and all the success and accolades Sachin still discusses every aspect of the game with Ajit, who does not watch his matches.
"He does not watch my matches. I have been told by friends that he goes on a long drive alone, where there is no radio, there is nothing, and he comes back only after the match is over."
"Later, a recording is pulled out and then he and I discuss where improvements can be made in my batting and what mistakes I committed. All this discussion happens then. Because I speak to him every evening and on a daily basis we discuss what sort of preparation should be made for a match and what are the mistakes to be avoided, and this is a habit I have since school cricket and I still use this formula," revealed Sachin in a past interview.